Kennedy Center for the Arts

  

"If art is to nourish the roots of our culture, society must set the artist free to follow his vision wherever it takes him. We must never forget that art is not a form of propaganda; it is a form of truth. 

                                                                                                                                                                                       President Kennedy October 26, 1963

In Septembre 1971 the Kennedy Center opened to the public. 

President John F. Kennedy was a lifelong supporter and advocate of the arts. Kennedy took the lead in raising funds for the new “National Cultural Center” and held special White House luncheons and receptions focused on the arts. 

 

Two months after President Kennedy's assassination in November 1963, Congress designated the National Cultural Center as a "living memorial" to Kennedy, and authorized the building that is now known as the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. 

Today, the Kennedy Center for the Arts acts as a leader in arts education and continues to fulfill President Kennedy’s vision by hosting a variety of musicals, dance and ballet, theater, and musical performances of all types.

JFK bust front

Kennedy Center Education: In the schools

Harvard Institute of Politics

  
"I urge all of you today, especially those who are students, to act, to enter the lists of public service and rightly win or lose the prize."
                         
                            President Kennedy, Remarks at Vanderbilt University, May 18, 1963

 

In 1966, the Kennedy Library Corporation presented Harvard University with an endowment for the creation of the Institute of Politics (IOP).

The Institute strives to promote greater understanding and cooperation between the academic world and the world of politics and public affairs. 

Each year, to celebrate their common roots, the John F. Kennedy Library Foundation and the Institute of Politics at Harvard's Kennedy School of Government award the John F. Kennedy New Frontier Awards to two young Americans who are changing their communities and their country. 

The New Frontier Awards are presented to exceptional young Americans under the age of 40.

 About the video : The history of the Institute of Politics at Harvard University

Kennedy Scholars

Following the assassination of President John F. Kennedy in November 1963, an appeal was launched in the United Kingdom to enable British citizens to donate to a fund in the late President’s memory. This money was used to grant a fund to enable British post-graduate students to study at Harvard and Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and to create a landscaped memorial at Runnymede.

The Runnymede Memorial was opened by the Queen in May 1965 and the first group of Kennedy Scholars went over to Harvard and MIT to begin their courses of study in September 1966.

 

The Memorials was opened by the Queen on the May 14, 1965 in the presence of the Prime Minister and many members of the Kennedy family.

Testimonies : JFK Voicies

Nowadays the legacy of President John F. Kennedy is still well known . This is a collection of short interviews with somes leading figures (politics, the arts, diplomacy, civil rights, etc.) discussing how President Kennedy influenced them and their work.

 

http://www.jfklibrary.org/JFK/JFK-Legacy/JFK50VoicesGallery/civil-rights.aspx 

 

http://www.jfklibrary.org/JFK/JFK-Legacy/JFK50VoicesGallery/Domestic-Affairs.aspx

 

http://www.jfklibrary.org/JFK/JFK-Legacy/JFK50VoicesGallery/Foreign-Policy-and-Diplomacy.aspx

 

http://www.jfklibrary.org/JFK/JFK-Legacy/JFK50VoicesGallery/The-Arts.aspx

The situation Room

The Situation Room was created after the failed Bay of Pigs invasion during the Kennedy Administration. 

President Kennedy felt he could no longer trust the information coming to him from the various areas of the national defense departments. As a way to ease the tensions and create a place for higher communication after the Bay of Pigs, the Situation Room was created in May 1961. 

President Kennedy ordered that every department of defense sector must feed their information to the Situation Room 24 hours a day. 

In 2006, the Situation Room has been renoveted.

Tying together a half-century of history, President Obama renamed a secure conference room of the Situation Room on May 13, 2011 after President Kennedy.

President Obama awaits upades in Situation Room

Inside the White House : the Situation room 

 

Green Berets

           

 "A symbol of excellence, a badge of courage, a mark of distinction in the fight for freedom."

                          President Kennedy on the Green Berets, April 11, 1962

The president JFK realy wanted to support the United States Department of Defense and after a visit in Fort Bragg, a US Army Special Warfare Center, he authorized the “Green Beret” as the official headgear for all US Army Special Forces.

Soon after, the President authorized the “Green Beret” as the official headgear and these Unconventional Warriors were thereafter and ever known as “The Green Berets." 

Their most important missions are unconventional warfare, foreign internal defense, special reconnaissance, direct action, hostage rescue, and counter-terrorism.

Peace Corps

 

 "For every young American who participates in the Peace Corps—who works in a foreign land—will know that he or she is sharing in the great common task of bringing to man that decent way of life which is the foundation of freedom and a condition of peace."

                                                                     President Kennedy, March 1, 1961            
                                            

"How many of you, who are going to be doctors, are willing to spend your days in Ghana? Technicians or engineers, how many of you are willing to work in the Foreign Service and spend your lives traveling around the world?"

 Senator Kennedy got the idea of the Peace Corps after  a speech with young students who wanted to live and work in developing countries around the world.

He created an agency of the federal government to keep peace and friendship. Since that time the Peace Corps has helped in a lot of countries from AIDS education to information technology and environmental preservation. 

The Peace Corps has three original goals:

• To help the people of interested countries and areas in meeting their needs for trained workers
• To help promote a better understanding of Americans on the part of the peoples served
• To help promote a better understanding of other peoples on the part of Americans

Today's Peace Corps is more vital than ever, working in emerging and essential areas.

USS John Kennedy

  "Any man who may be asked in this century what he did to make his life worthwhile, I think can respond with a good deal of pride and satisfaction, I served in the United States Navy.’”

                                                              President Kennedy, August 1963

John F. Kennedy joined the U.S. Navy in 1941 as the United States entered World War II where he  earned Marine Corps Medal for his courage and leadership.

After President Kennedy’s death, in May 1967, Jacqueline, Caroline and John Jr. christened the United States Navy aircraft carrier USS John F. Kennedy.

Since August 1st, 2007 the aircaft is used as a museum and in 2011, the nuclear powered aircraft carrier, CVN79 is now called the USS John F. Kennedy. 

JFK Disabilities

"We must promote to the best of our ability and by all possible and appropriate means the mental and physical health of all our citizens."

                                                      President Kennedy, February 5, 1963

The president's sister Rosemary, was born with intellectual disabilities. In 1946, Mrs. Joseph P. Kennedy created the Joseph P. Kennedy Jr. Foundation to help to prevent and to identifie causes for intellectual disabilities.  Eunice Kennedy Shriver began directing the foundation in 1957 and became a staunch advocate for people with mental retardation and their families. 

President Kennedy and his family forever changed public attitudes toward people with intellectual disabilities. Their influence on related policies and programs can still be seen today.

The Special Olympics 

In 1968, Eunice Shriver founded the Special Olympics, an organization dedicated to celebrating and accepting people with intellectual disabilities as athletes. Today, more than 2.5 million children and adults in 180 countries participate in the Special Olympics.

JFK 50 Miles Memorial

 "What we must do is change the physical habits of millions of Americans and that is far more difficult than changing their tastes, their fashions or even their politics."

                                                                               JFK, December 5, 1961

President Theodore Roosevelt required all military officers to be able to cover 50 miles on foot, in 20 hours, to maintain their commissions. President John F. Kennedy helped to bring the country back to physical fitness. When word circulated about the "Kennedy Challenge", non-commissioned military personnel also wished to take the test themselves as did certain robust members of the civilian population.

When President Kennedy was assassinated in November 1963, the majority of these races were never held again. In 1964, the Washington County, Maryland race changed its name from the 'JFK 50 Mile Challenge' to the 'JFK 50 Mile Memorial'. It takes place every year since its inaugural race.

Of the many awards presented the most prestigious is the Kennedy Cup, which is awarded to the top-finishing military team.

50 Mile finisher Medal

The American Irland Fund

 

All of us of Irish descent are bound together by the ties that come from a common experience; experience which May exist only in memories and in legend, but which is real enough to those who possess it."

                                                                                               John F. Kennedy

John Fitzgerald Kennedy is the first American Irish-Catholic president. He was a son of two families whose roots both stretched back to Ireland. President Kennedy cherished his Irish heritage.
 

During his four days in County Wexford, in Ireland President Kennedy joined with Irish President Eamonn de Valera to form The American Irish Foundation. The mission of this organization was to help Irish Americans relations with their original country.  

The American Ireland Fund has been created by the association of The Irland Fund and the American Irish Foundation in 1987 on St Patrick’s Day.
 

Today, The American Ireland Fund, is a nonprofit organization that assists Ireland and Irish-related causes in the United States. The Ireland Funds currently operate in 12 countries. Their mission is to be the largest network of friends of Ireland dedicated to supporting programs of education, peace and reconciliation, arts and culture, and community development throughout Ireland.